Murder Out Of Doors
by Kenneth Hand
Summary: Widely regarded as the most difficult Clue mystery ever written, 'Murder Out Of Doors' was the object of the 2003 Clue fanfic contest, hosted by the Complete Clue Guide.
1. Chapter 1

MURDER OUT OF DOORS

WRITTEN by KENNETH HAND

June 11, 2003

GUESTS:  
Ms. Scarlet Col. Mustard Mrs. White Mr. Green Mrs. Peacock Prof. Plum

WEAPONS:  
Knife Revolver Rope Wrench Lead Pipe Candlestick

ROOMS:  
Hedge Maze Pool Area Garden Shed Stable Conservatory Lounge

SECRET PASSAGES:  
Conservatory - Lounge Conservatory - Hedge Maze Hedge Maze - Pool Area Hedge Maze - Garden Shed Hedge Maze - Stable

"I would like to make an announcement," said Mr. Boddy, one rainy day at the manor.

The guests were all in the Conservatory playing cards. They looked up,  
hardly interested.

"What is it, Boddy?" asked Col. Mustard. Ms. Scarlet took the opportunity to glance at Mustard's cards while he wasn't looking.

"I've discovered something," Mr. Boddy said proudly, and pushed aside a large flower pot in a corner of the Conservatory, opposite the corner where the Secret Passage to the Lounge was. The wall swung open.

The guests all stood up. "Great scott!" said Prof. Plum. "Is it...?"

Mr. Boddy grinned. There was a piece of spinach lodged between his two front teeth. "That's right, another Secret Passage. I discovered it this morning.  
It leads to the Hedge Maze. There are three other Secret Passages in the Hedge Maze, as well, that lead to the Pool Area, the Garden Shed, and the Stable.

The guests were all amazed, except for Mrs. White, who had known about the Secret Passages for years. She yawned.

"Well, then," she said, "is anyone up for more tea?"

But since no one was listening, she left for the Kitchen to put the cups in the dishwasher. Once there, she opened a cupboard where she was hoarding weapons, and deposited the Rope, which she had found in the Lounge earlier.  
She had two others in the cupboard already.

THAT NIGHT

Three guests met in the Conservatory.

"So who's going to do the deed?" asked guest x.

"How rude!" puffed guest y, who was Mrs. Peacock.

"I mean, who's going to steal the Monet painting in the Ball Room?" guest x,  
who was Mr. Green, explained.

"I haven't been able to find any weapons lately," said guest z, and held up his empty hands. "If Mr. Boddy catches me..."

guest y rolled her eyes. "It's because that nasty Mrs. White's been hoarding them in her cupboard." She held up the Wrench. "I snuck this one out of it a few minutes ago. Now there's only two left."

"I have one as well," guest x said, and looked at guest y. "So I guess it has to be either you or I who steals the painting."

"Whoever gets the chance first," said guest y. "And then we can smuggle the painting out of the mansion when the other guests are asleep. But here, let's trade weapons before we split up."

guest y and guest x traded weapons. Then guests x, y, and z left the Conservatory.

THE NEXT MORNING

"I have a challenge for those who are up for it," declared Mr. Boddy. He and the guests were having breakfast in the Dining Room.

Col. Mustard automatically responded. "Always up for a challenge, Boddy! What did you have in mind? Fencing? Dueling?"

Mr. Boddy shook his head. "Actually, I have a more lucrative challenge in mind."  
And with that, he walked out of the Dining Room, and came back in with a painting.

"What's that?" asked the guests in unison.

Mr. Boddy smiled. "It's a family heirloom. A real Monet. It's worth one million dollars, easily." He looked down upon it. "I've decided, however, that it's time the old Monet step down from its place on the Ball Room wall, and fall into the hands of one of my best friends."

"I didn't know you had a real Monet, Boddy," said Col. Mustard truthfully, and scratched his head.

"Oh, Mr. Boddy!" Ms. Scarlet gushed, with dollar signs in her eyes. "I just knew you were going to give the painting to me!"

"Are you kidding?" barked Mr. Green. "He said his best friend! And we all know that's me."

Mr. Boddy chuckled. "You're all my best friends. But if you want the painting, I'm afraid you'll have to work for it. We shall play hide and seek. Whoever finds me, in the Lounge, Conservatory, Hedge Maze, Pool Area, Garden Shed, or Stable, will win the painting.

guest y cast a bitter look at guests x and z.

"I say, Boddy, that is a bit of an odd way to let go of an art piece," Col.  
Mustard said.

Mr. Boddy continued. "I can move around those rooms as I like, but only through the Secret Passages that connect them." (FOR A LIST OF SECRET PASSAGES, SEE ABOVE.) "Whoever touches me first, wins the game."

LATER THAT DAY

The guests were all in the Conservatory, at the entrance to the Secret Passage that led the Hedge Maze.

"Ready, set, go!" Mr. Boddy called, and the guests were off before he could remind them that they had to count for ten seconds with their eyes closed once they were in the Hedge Maze.

Col. Mustard, who had stolen the Rope from Mrs. White's cupboard, led the group into the maze. Once within, everyone split up, except for guests x, y, and z.

"We have to beat the others to get that painting," guest y said. "We can't steal it now."

Just then, however, a guest knocked guest y unconscious with the Lead Pipe and stole guest y's weapon.

"That's for looking in my cupboard!"

guests x and z ran off into the Hedge Maze.

Ms. Scarlet, who had two weapons, saw Mr. Boddy somewhere in the distance, but suddenly tripped and landed on a bench near the side of the path. The bench sunk into the ground and Scarlet was transferred, via the Secret Passage, into the Pool Area.

guest z (who was still weaponless), not watching where he was going, stubbed his toe on the bench. He was transferred to the Pool Area, where the first guest who had been transferred to the Pool Area was looking all around; not for Mr. Boddy, but because she had dropped one of her weapons. guest z noticed it on the ground near the passage, picked it up, and transferred back to the Hedge Maze without her noticing. Back in the Hedge Maze, he knocked another guest unconscious and stole that guest's only weapon.

The only female guest who still possessed two weapons had gotten lost. She used the Knife to chop a door in one of the walls of the Maze; beyond was the Stable, and,  
thinking she caught a glimpse of Mr. Boddy in the Stable, she hurried into the Stable.

The guest in the Pool Area left, angry because she couldn't find her other weapon or Mr. Boddy. Out of spite, she shot the first guest she saw in the Hedge Maze, stole his weapon, and transferred into the Garden Shed.

Out of guests x, y, and z, only one was still conscious; that guest transferred into the Conservatory, looked about for Mr. Boddy, and not finding him, transferred back into the Hedge Maze.

A male guest regained consciousness and began searching for Mr. Boddy again.

The guest in the Garden Shed and one of the guests in the Hedge Maze traded places.  
One of them had dropped a weapon by accident in the Garden Shed, and the other picked it up, happy to have a weapon again.

The other two guests who were still conscious ran into each other in a Secret Passage, and traded weapons so that neither had either of the weapons he/she had before entering the Secret Passage.

One of the guests in the Hedge Maze caught Mr. Boddy entering the Secret Passage into the Pool Area. Before she could touch him, however, another guest knocked her unconscious with the Wrench. The striker didn't bother to pick up the victim's two weapons, but continued through the Hedge Maze in search of Mr. Boddy.

Just then, the remaining conscious guests transferred into rooms they had not been to yet; except for guest z, who stayed in the Hedge Maze.

Mrs. Peacock regained consciousness then and witnessed a guest touching Mr. Boddy's shoulder in the same room as she was in, therefore winning the painting.

WHO FOUND MR. BODDY? WHERE? WHAT WEAPON(S) DOES THAT GUEST POSSESS? 


	2. Chapter 2

MURDER OUT OF DOORS SOLUTION

Professor Plum - Hedge Maze - Knife/Lead Pipe 


End file.
